A/N: First off, can I say how awesome everyone had been? I know I've been gone a while and even still, all my stories are still receiving so much great feedback. You all are nothing short of amazing. That said, I do plan on updating all my stories waaaaay more frequently. As many of you have seen, (and commented) all of the stories have at least gotten one chapter updated. I am working on trying to push out updated on all of them again and usually on the same day.
Request: Like always, if anyone had feedback, requests or suggestions on how the story is going or where you think it should go, please let me know. (Preferably not in a rude way.) I love hearing back from readers on suggestions or questions and I tend to get all the questions answered in a quick time frame. So, just know, feedback is always more than welcomed and extremely appreciated.
It had been the last thing she expected.
At a loss for words had not even begun to cover how she felt.
Her body didn't move, and her mind was nothing short of scrambled, a million thoughts running through it. She hadn't meant to stare at the wolf in horror, but that had been exactly what had happened.
After all, it wasn't every day she saw someone that she had thought to be dead.
And to be fair, the female had been the last person she expected.
But there she was.
Oddly enough, with what appeared to be frustration and defeat radiating off her body. Kagome couldn't help but wonder what caused such emotions.
"Ayame?"
Her voice was but a whisper, but she knew the demoness heard her nonetheless. Nodding her hair in acknowledgment, the demoness seemed to be choosing her words wisely. Yet, that alone was odd.
After all, why was there not shock radiating off the wolf?
Or astonishment?
Or even a hint of confusion?
It was almost as if the demoness had bumped into an acquaintance off the street.
Everything about the wolf was so out of character. Even now, Kagome couldn't help but stare at the woman before her with her mouth opened in shock. Her mind had tried to formulate thoughts other than hysteria and confusion, but there was no success. Instead, a million questions wanted to be screamed out.
"Do you love him?" There was a lace of hesitation and frustration and the words were spoken much louder than Kagome had expected.
What?
Out of everything that she could have asked, it was this? Surely, she didn't mean about Koga? But why ask such a question, after all these years. Had it not been nearly five hundred years for the wolf?
The baffled expression on her must have been far too easy to read because shocking Kagome once again, the demoness laughed.
"Of course. I knew it. You never did."
Letting herself give the wolf a look of even more disbelief, Kagome tried to contemplate the events occurring before her. Ayame had shown up out of nowhere—to ask her if her feelings remained for Koga? The entire situation was nothing short of bizarre.
Still, while she knew they had not been exactly friends, she couldn't help but be hurt.
After all this time, this was how the wolf greeted her?
Had she truly meant so very little to the youkai that had been part of her quest to defeat Naraku?
"Ayame, I never—"
But the wolf was already gone.
As if she was never there.
The phone buzzed in his hand, all but screaming for his attention. Ignoring it still, Sesshoumaru gazed at the surrounds before him. How odd it was to be standing in such a familiar yet unrecognizable place. Even in the current weather, he could see the resemblance. How had they missed it? Not thought to look for it?
The Sacred Tree.
For the past few hours, he had been nothing short of productive. In fact, he had found the address, spoken to the owners and received more information than he could have hoped for. Information such as whom had sold the shrine, and the issues that had been occurring with unwanted visitors.
But most importantly, he had found her name.
Kagome Higurashi.
It hadn't taken long to find the rest, but that had been the problem. What he had found had far from satisfied him.
Her school records.
Her family records.
All of it had led to nothing short of hardships. She had barely graduated from school. How she had made it into college was beyond him. Then, there had been the financial struggles thrown upon her entire family.
Never had he been so furious at the situation presented before him.
They had all thrived—and been granted things they thought impossible, but she was left alone. The mere thought nearly beckoned his beast to the surface. How long had it been since he had felt such rage? How long had it been since that burning hard stare had truly made its appearance?
Hundreds of years.
At least.
How had she been dealt with so little?
How had the gods allowed such a thing?
She was a human, and thus came her short lifespan. Could the gods not have made her live out life in ease? Had she not deserved such a thing? After everything, she had done.
Dealing with Inu Yasha.
Destroying Naraku.
Giving everyone their happiness?
Sesshoumaru glared at the Sacred Tree in distaste. Apparently, the alpha would have to take matters into his own hands.
She had made it home, but not without disorientation and hatred.
How had so much changed but remained the same? In the Feudal Era, she had been nothing short of timid and a pushover when it came to Inu Yasha. A carpet on which everyone all but walked on. All she had wanted was everyone to be happy.
And where had that gotten her?
Trying to suppress her temper, she wanted to shout out to the world the bitterness she felt.
How had the gods so clearly abandoned her?
"I did what you asked." She whispered under her voice, determined to let them know how she felt.
"The jewel, Inu Yasha—all of it."
But it clearly hadn't been enough.
While she hadn't expected rewards from the gods themselves, she had hoped to at least catch some sort of break. Yet the only response she received was the howling of the wind. Sitting on the steps of the house, she buried her face in frustration.
Would this be her life? Forever a struggle? Unacknowledged and forgotten by all? Those thoughts alone terrified her. But hadn't that been what had occurred? Had that not been what the appearance of the wolf demoness had taught her?
They had all known about her, and that she survived.
But no one had come for her.
No one had cared.
As if the gods wanted to further taunt her, a mild flare of youkai presented itself. It should have made her curiosity, but it only made the rage inside of her grow. Had Ayame come back to drill her with more worthless questions? The mere thought made her hands shake. Throwing her head up towards the direction of the youkai, she threw out her reiki in warning and frustration.
All of it.
Releasing her anger, sadness, frustration, and betrayal all in once, she shouted her question with the hatred she didn't know she could possess.
"What, Ayame?! What can I do for you this time?!"
But it was not the wolf demoness that stood before her.
In fact, the individual before her was nothing close to Ayame.
It seemed that the gods had heard her after all.
Or maybe, she was simply being foolish for thinking the current events was that of good fortune. For when had the appearance of the Daiyoukai resulted in anything other than disaster? The words that left his mouth informed her of her grave mistake in regard to releasing her power.
"Miko, if you try to wound me ever again, understand that your submission will follow. As for the wolf, it will be handled."
